Comments:

I had a very positive experience with the Violet Barn, even though there was one small understandable mistake. I ordered 7 Petrocosmeas. I received 6 beautiful Petrocosmeas and one Begonia. It was clear the Begonia was an honest mistake--it had a name similar to one of the Petrocosmeas. Oh well. I emailed the Violet Barn, and literally within minutes Rob explained and corrected the problem, refunding some of my money. The net result is that I received 6 Petrocosmeas and 1 free Begonia--also a cool species that I did not have.

I received the Petrocosmeas (and Begonia) beautifully packed and in perfect condition, in December.

The Violet Barn's plants are beautiful, their prices low, and their attitude and service exceptional. They are an outstanding company that deserves our business.

I was a first time buyer a couple of weeks ago. I ordered (2) violets.
packaging was nice...plants and root system were very small. For the price I was disappointed and surprised. One plant looked fine, one not so much. After 2 weeks I have lost 1. I contacted the not so friendly Rob at the Violet Barn. Only answer was I had to do something wrong. First No Perlite (yes I did) 2nd pot too big (plant in same pot came in) 3rd I over watered. (I had only watered 1 time, putting 1/2" water in the bottom of my pot in a pot) I asked he replace and will not.. he will give me a free plant on my next order.
I think not... why would I re-order from a company that will not back his products... and only places blame. sounds like many has had good luck.. but if you are one that does not.. don't expect any service.. only attitude.

Posted on October 11, 2009, updated August 11, 2014
In December, 2008, I ordered a collection of ten streptocarpus, their choice. The plants were quite small, but nicely packed. They sat in three-inch pots in my cool greenhouse all winter, not growing, not dying. Then they took off in the late-winter sun and warmth, and from May on they have been blooming like mad, and look picture perfect. Cultural instructions were excellent.

On August 11th, 2014, krauskg added the following:

I received another six streps in April, again small plants but all of them are now blooming beautifully.
Demand must really outstrip supply, because many cultivars disappear from their website for a while, only to resurface. I can understand the demand; the plants they send are wonderful.

About 6 weeks ago, I placed an online order for 6 standard African violets with The Violet Barn. Everything I wanted was in stock and arrived on time. Great packaging and reasonable shipping. This is the second time this happy customer has ordered from Violet Barn.

Wow!! I can't believe how beautifully packaged the plants were, and how high the quality. I would have to guess this is a labor of love. I ordered 13 miniature plants, including Sinningias, Euonymus japonicus, Hedera and mini violets. The box was very carefully packed in layers of insulation, the soil was kept in the pots with an ingenious plastic arrangement, and the small pots were then stabilized within a paper tube. These plants arrived in perfect condition in mid-winter here in (very cold and snowy) Maine. I am extremely impressed, and grateful for the beautiful plants.

Just received my second plant order from Robs since fall. Great service, super fast shipping, and beautiful plants that were carefully packaged. The ones I bought in the fall are all in bloom, warming up the Pennsylvania winter. My favorite plant is strep Bristols Nightfall. I will certainly be back for more.

Placed an order on Monday, late in the day. The order arrived on Thursday morning. Packaging was extremely well done - each plant had a plastic collar rubber-banded to the pot to contain the soil and had a plastic identification stake included, then wrapped in paper and stapled at either end. The plants were surrounded by insulation and placed inside a cardboard box with air pillows protecting them from all sides. Accompanying the shipment were full instructions on unpacking and care, along with a packing slip. The plants were well rooted and ready to thrive. Excellent!

Posted on May 22, 2008, updated July 1, 2013
Received 5 African Violets today. . All five are good-sized, very healthy, and pest-free.
Price per plant is quite reasonable, as is shipping cost.
I talked to the owner, (I think he was the owner) who was very pleasant and helpful.
Soon after our conversation, a confirmation email was sent, letting me know all 5 Av's were available.
Plants were well-packaged, held together with plastic and rubber bands, tucked between newspaper. Foil was lined inside the box for safe-keeping.
Considering the order was phoned in a few days ago, shipping was extremely fast. Toni

I've been mail-ordering plants, seeds, supplies, etc., for decades now (I'm 70) and I've never seen any better service than Violet Barn's. The packaging is a joy to behold, so that not a bit of potting medium was disturbed in transit, and all seven of my African violets were in flawless condition. This nursery is sure doing its part to make life happier for us horticulturists.

The Violet Barn was my first experience in ordering African violets online.I ordered the 10 violet multipack . My wife got tired of the many blue African violets I have running around in the house.They arrived well within the promised time frame in very good condition.Extreme care was taken in growing these beauties.I could tell by the size of the root systems.They were bug free and had some sturdy leaves. They were well packed.No dirt was evident on the bottom of the shipping box and the soil was even moist. I cannot wait until they bloom and get big.I can then start some white,pink and red African violets and put them all over the house!

Good quality and variety of plants for a reasonable price! I ordered last spring and the plants are all healthy and doing well.
Something to be aware of: Rob seems to be the kind of person who is very curt and to the point, not the sort to go out of his way to be particularly friendly. Maybe it's because he's very busy with the business, or maybe that's just his personality. It's not really a big deal since you don't really have to interact with him much if you're ordering online, but if you do contact them personally be prepared for it.

Posted on June 1, 2009, updated April 6, 2012
I was hesitant to write this review, but I have relied on Garden Watchdog in the past, so I wanted to weigh in on my experience with Rob's Violets. I have to give him a neutral. I phoned in my order, and spoke directly with Rob. As the customer, I just didn't feel important. Customer service and the way you treat people, both in person or over the phone/on-line is very important to me. I felt he was condescending and short over the phone, and again when I emailed to inquire about the order a week later. My order was received, and he does an outstanding packing job... much care and time is put in to packaging the plants for mailing. I only ordered two plants, and while small, they appear healthy, and I don't expect to have any trouble with them.

On April 6th, 2012, VA_Wild_Rose changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:

I have just received an order I placed with them last week, and I am much more satisfied with the service I received! I placed this order on-line, and received written confirmation by email on my order status throughout the process. Since my order was placed just before the cut-off date for the change from winter shipping to spring/summer shipping (April 15th), I was not guaranteed live arrival since I did not choose Express shipping. I was confident that with this spring's early mild temps, that my order would be OK with just Priority mail. The order was received in superb condition! Packed with extreme care and well insulated, there was no worry that the plants inside were in great condition. I ordered four plants this time... Three Streptocarpus and one Episcia, and they are all very nice. One plant is in bloom, and one has nice buds on it! I am very happy with my order, and very happy with customer service. I would recommend the Violet Barn and would order from them again. They provide extensive information on their website, and in the orders. Thank you!

Posted on November 11, 2011, updated March 9, 2012
Posted on November 11, 2011, updated November 11, 2011
I ordered named varieties and received small but well-rooted and healthy starter plants. The spreading African violets had a handful of small leaves and the streptocarpus had at least two leaves, with several smaller leaves starting on one plant.
The plants arrived in good condition. Packaging was careful and well done. They even included a piece of insulation around the plants against the cold weather we've been getting.

It'll be months before they bloom, but provided they are true to name, I'm satisfied.

On November 11th, 2011, AS added the following:

btw, the information the Violet Barn includes with the plants is exceptional, and includes instructions for just about every aspect of growing them. They even included instructions on propagation from leaves (made me think very highly of this company, since most companies would rather you just bought more plants from them). On March 9th, 2012, AS added the following:

Everything has done very well, and outgrew their little pots after a few months. Only one plant has bloomed so far (was true to name), but that's fine - I'd rather they put their energy into growth and not flowers at first.

I received my first order of 3 miniature African Violets a few weeks ago. I was so impressed that I have already ordered and received 2 more miniature violets. I have ordered many plants, shrubs, and small trees online. Violet Barn out does all the others with their packaging and shipping times! The weather has been unusually hot, yet the violets were completely undamaged. Leaves, blossoms, and buds were perfect. The soil in the pots was still damp. I am already planning my next order. Highly recommended.

I received my first order from The Violet Barn this week. I'd ordered two gloxinia plants. While quite small, both plants arrived in good condition due to some exceptionally good packing. I'm not aware of any other online suppliers of gloxinia plants in the U.S., so I'm thrilled that The Violet Barn has turned out to be a good vendor.

Made an online order, but then decided to drive 7 hours to pick it up...glad I did. Stayed at the guest house which the owners rent to out-of-town visitors. Nice operation, clean; neat and orderly; I bought double my original order because I kept seeing things I had to have! Plants were packed nicely for travel (in February) and are all thriving. The variety of offerings is outstanding; a boon for the collector. This is a great small business whose owners are passionate about what they do.

Ordered Streps, Standard, Russian and Miniature AV's in early October. The plants arrived promptly with the best packing I have seen from any supplier. The plants, although small, were healthy. Now all are blooming and growing at a great pace. I will definitely order from them again when the weather warms up.

Thank you to Rob for the beautiful delivery of my new African Violets! The packing is absolutely outstanding, the plants are healthy, and because they were packed so well, they arrived in excellent condition. I would definitely order from you again and would encourage anyone else to have no worries about the way this company does their business. You receive the highest praise from me. I asked a few questions about pot size and when to repot and every email was answered courteously and quickly, even though my questions were answered in the care information that is included with the boxed order. Great customer service! Lori

I ordered just a couple of plants back in March and they recently bloomed beautifully.
One of my SINNINGIA's although very beautiful were the wrong variety.
I sent an email and was promptly nitofied I would get a replacement at no cost.
The replacement came in just a few days,
I must say their packing is OUTSTANDING,as well as the customer service,
Bravo Rob !

I received my order of 4 miniature violets today, the packaging was excellent and everything arrived in good condition. Two of the plants have flower buds and it should not be long before the others do as well. The selection of plants and flower colors offered, truly are spectacular. I look forward to ordering again.

I've been buying from Dr. Rob and Olive Ma Robinson for about 3 years now and have never been disappointed. So far this year (2010) I've ordered streptocarpus in one order (let me see Bristol's Tractor Beam Bristol's Cat Dance Bristol's Goose Egg Bristol's Hot Rod) and my other order this year was Picasso, Vintage Wine, Rob's Heat Wave, Rob's Suicidal Squirrel, Rob's Chilly Willy. Great plants, healthy. Great Packing. What more can I say?
They have a great selection of all kinds of gesneriads. This is one of probably 3 websites I check before I go to ebay to look. I highly recommend them and I will keep coming back.

I ordered 9 columneas. Eight were quite well established. One had a rather skimpy root system, but it pulled through. Warning: Rob's soil mix is fairly heavy, and has a tendency to look wet when it's dry. Be prepared to babysit your plants very carefully for the first few weeks.

Good experience with this company. Was notified by email when my plants would be shipped. The violets arrived in excellent shape...not one leaf was broken and all the growing medium was still in the pots. The free violet they sent was different from any in my collection. I will order again from this company. Thank you Violet Barn

The plants were healthy and packed very well. They did an excellent job on shipping the plants. Each plant was wrapped in damp paper. I received the potting soil the next day. I will buy from them again. My online experience with them was positive.

I just received my order today from Violet Barn and I am very happy with my plants. This was my first time ordering from them.

All of my 5 plants I ordered are healthy and are great starter plants. My Alsobia and Kohleria already have blooms! That was a wonderful surprise. :) Also my Episcia looks like it has a flower bud developing.

The packaging was done with great care! I would definitely order from Violet Barn again. They have a great selection of Gesneraids!

I have ordered standard african violets from Rob's twice, and each time the plants are carefully packed and shipped. They may be small plants, but grow very quickly and bloom within a few months. Some even arrived with buds.

I also recently ordered the streptocarpis and these have started blooming well even on the tiny plants.

Rob's is really the place to get a great variety of african violets, in terms of selections and quality.

The Alsobias and Streptocarpus I ordered were delivered beautifully packed. Two of the six Streptocarpus were blooming, only one of the Streptocarpus didn't have a bud on it. I will order from them again.

I have placed one to two orders a year for the last at least 10 yrs. The plants are always well packed with prompt mailing. I have ordered almost all of their miniature house plants and many of their miniature african violets. The plants have come in very small pots.
They are usually in white 2 inch or 2 1/2 inch pots.
I have resisted transplanting them upon arrival and not transplanted them for a month after delivery. They advertise as sending small rooted cuttings. Their prices are commensurate with the size.
I have found Rob's violet barn is a great place to buy bonsai starter plants at a cheap price. Thanks Shohinken

I ordered 3 miniature African Violets last month for a terrarium. They were thoughtfully and carefully packed, and arrived in perfect condition, as contrasted with the experience I had with another vendor of different plants last month. While the shipping/handling cost initally seemed high, it was well worth it to get the plants intact. If I am unsuccessful with the terrarium, it will be my inexperience to blame, not Rob's Violet Barn, and I will definitely get replacement plants from Rob's.
A minor suggestion: the ordering process and website is unsophisticated in a way that suggests a fly-by-night operation. When ordering, I had concerns that the process was not going to be effective or secure, but so far, so good!

My previous experiences were fairly positive, although the hoyas were very small. To date, now 3 years later, they are still in the same tiny pots & haven't bloomed. This time I tried epscias & African violets...I have to go with the negative rating because they sent the order while the temps were still too cold @ night to arrive safely, even with heat packs & expensive express shipping. I explained the problem to the owners & they took the attitude that I was making this up & the plants really hadn't died. They said they had no problem with shipping to other people in cold climes, & not only one, but TWO seperate orders to my climate were unable to survive. I don't like owners that act mad @ me when the weather causes plant loss. So, they will wait till MAY to send replacements, even when I assured them that April would be fine. I just don't like this guys attitude....no thanks to ordering from them again. I don't need this kind of grumpy attitude...there are others out there that don't consider me a liar. What happened to assuming the best about their customers.??..When did these guys gets so jaded??? Sorry, but they will get no more of my business.

Absolutely the best packaging of mail-order plants I've every received. I ordered the Begonia collection of 10 plants, seller's choice. Yes, small 2" pots, but for $3.50 ea, what I anticipated. They gave me a great selection, I will buy from them again.

I placed an order with Rob's, for begonias. I forget how many, but the order came to around $64. While I received them in a timely manner (from placing the order) and it was not too early in the season - June or early July, I received very small plantlets with poorly developed roots. Most of the plants did not survive, in spite of my nurturing them.

I am an experienced and successful terrarium and begonia grower. I would recommend that if you do buy from Rob's, you should request that they grow the plants up a little before shipping rather than receive a specimen that can't thrive. I am seriously disappointed and they did not respond to my emails. I will not purchase from him again.